


Seen and Not Feared

by GretchenSinister



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-21 19:51:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18146675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GretchenSinister/pseuds/GretchenSinister
Summary: Original Prompt: "Remember the snowball fight between Jaime, his friends, and the guardians at the end of the movie? Instead of Pitch being dragged away by his nightmares, I want to see him join in! Reluctantly or otherwise, I’d love it if Jack somehow coaxes him into it.Bonus points if Pitch is aggressive about it at first, but no match for Jack’s (or the kids’) snowball tossing skills.Bonus bonus points if he ends up enjoying himself (even if he doesn’t admit it to anyone else)I’m partial to Pitch/Jack, but gen is completely okay too!"First, I like the title a lot, and I’m going to keep it in mind for other things. Anyway, this is more serious than I thought it was going to be. The idea is that Pitch needs to be feared to survive, but wants to be seen so he’s not so alone.





	Seen and Not Feared

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr on 9/24/2014.

The way the Guardians paused when one of Jack’s snowballs hit Pitch square in the chest as soon as he had regained his feet reminded Jamie of how he and the other kids had frozen when the snowball had hit Cupcake a couple of days ago. Astoundingly, the effect was much the same.  
  
After attaining his balance once more, Pitch strode toward the rest of them, kids and Guardians, his face in a snarl, brushing snow from his robes. Jamie watched, puzzled, as Pitch flickered as he approached. In his watching, he met Pitch’s eyes, and Pitch’s expression changed from vicious to confused.  
  
He stopped flickering, and his eyes grew even wider. And then he laughed. It wasn’t a very good laugh at first, being the sort of laugh made by someone who didn’t tend to think of things like snowball fights as fun, but it soon grew better. Pitch scooped up a handful of snow and flung it at Jack, with excellent aim and poor snowball technique. The snowball fell apart before it reached Jack, but the change was clear enough. Pitch was part of their fight, and he was there to have fun.  
  
Jamie could have sworn the snowball fight lasted for hours, though he never got cold and his gloves never soaked through. Later, he felt like it could have gone on forever, with no one getting tired or bored. The last thing he remembered about that night, though, was Bunny saying, “Hey, Sandy, it’s getting near dawn.” There had been a golden burst of light then, and Jamie felt his eyes falling closed. And the last sight he had seen before he fell down, asleep, was Sandy walking up to Pitch, who had fallen to his knees in the snow. It seemed a strange posture, but maybe Pitch was falling asleep, too, Jamie thought.  
  
It couldn’t be defeat, of course. True, Pitch had been defeated, but then he had joined in the snowball fight. It had worked out for him, and Jamie was happy for him, even if he had been so awful before. After all, he wasn’t afraid of him. Now, he doubted he ever would be again.  
  
***  
  
“Tell me you’re here to guard me,” Pitch said, as Sandy stood by his shoulder. “Tell me they sent you to keep an eye on me because you’re the strongest, while the rest of them witness Jack’s oath.”  
  
Sandy hesitated, then stepped around so Pitch could see his face, and nodded. Pitch sighed. “Tell me, too, how strong Jack is. How even as Guardians you couldn’t resist his center.” Sandy nodded again, and Pitch’s shoulders slumped. “That’s good, then. It wasn’t a moment of weakness, of just wanting to be seen a little while longer, no matter what the cost. And I did have fun, certainly. Against my will, and rationality, and how things are supposed to be.” Pitch frowned deeply. “You see why I did it now, Sandy? Even though this way I’ll fade faster. These children, who  _know_  I’m real…they’ve seen me having a snowball fight. It’s unsustainable. I need to be feared, even a little will do, but to be seen…it’s only a want and, no, I wouldn’t choose to fade. It was Jack’s power. Jack’s power was too strong.”  
  
Sandy placed his hand on his shoulder. If you ask for help, you might not fade, he told Pitch.  
  
“I could never be so weak,” Pitch mumbled.  
  
But something might affect you like Jack’s powers did tonight, Sandy offered.  
  
“Perhaps,” Pitch said. “Perhaps.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments from Tumblr:
> 
> mira-eyeteeth reblogged this from gretchensinister and added: PITCH BABY MY EMOTIONS
> 
> marypsue reblogged this from gretchensinister and added: I knew this was going to hurt as soon as I read your commentary, and I was not wrong.
> 
> tejoxys said: D:
> 
> bowlingforgerbils said: Poor Pitch. :(


End file.
